Toy tenpin game



Dec. 26, 1950 F, vo s 2,535,973

TOY TENPIN GAME Filed Aug. 2, 1946 f I 23 2/ A4 25/ MW 20 11 I211 26 1W 2 25 2:5

INVENTOR- W fled BY game; Fig. 2 is a detail in side elevation Patented Dec. 26, 1950 a;

TOY TENPIN GAME Frederick Voges, Chicago, Ill.,.assignor to Advertising Ingenuities, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application August 2, 1946, Serial No. 688,027

This invention relates to a game. In particular it has reference to a simulated game of tenpins in which the pins are normally supported erect, but

are adapted to be tipped from a vertical to a horizontal position upon being struck by a missile.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a game in the nature of a toy, and therefore suited to the pleasure of a child, although the same is such as to lend itself to the amusement of adults as well, the toy comprising a plurality of tenpins hingedly mounted on a base so that one or more thereof may fall from an erect to a supine position when struck by a projectile .or ball.

Another object is to provide a game generally 'asaforesaid, including a cam element secured to "each tenpin and a cam-operating member for restoring all fallen pins to normal simultaneously. Still further objects are to provide a simulated bowling game yielding many of the pleasures and excitement of its real counterpart, but adapted for indoor use in a small room, which is simple and hence foolproof in construction and operation, which is capable of operation by a very young child, is noninjurious, and may beplayed solo or competitively. r

In the drawings, which show one embodiment of my invention:

Fig. l is an exploded perspective view of :the

of one of the tenpins and its relationship to other parts;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the tenpins and its shaft; Fig. 4 is a detail of one end of a, shaft supporting the tenpins; and

Fig. 5 depicts the game in use.

Referring to Fig. 1, the device comprises a supv, port, including an upper open-bottomed, box-like the top part fitting snugly over the bottom part. Disposed erect above the top 6, and in the array j-of conventional tenpins, are the simulated tenpins -20 of thin, flat form and of any suitable material, e. e., plywood or metal. Each tenpin is provided :with a supporting member 2| best seen in Figs. 2 :and 3, of U-form, the sides 23 being spaced apart by a bridge 24 riveted thereto at 25, and the sides 23 being inturned to form flanges 28 secured to Apertures l8 and self-tapping screws I 9 may be used to unite the top and bottom parts,

e Claims. (01. 273-102) the tenpin an by rivets 21. The sides 23pass through and are movable within pairs of slots 3|3 [in the top 6, and there is provided a shaft 32 for each transverse row of tenpins 20 passing 5 through apertures in the sides 23. At their ends the shafts 32 are supported in apertures 33 in the sides '|"l, the abutting sides ll-I1 having U-shaped notches 34 to clear the same. The ends of the shafts may be flattened after assembly (Fig. 4) to prevent dislodgment thereof.

In view of the foregoing, it will be noted that each tenpin 2|] is independently pivotally mounted with respect to the top 6 in order that each thereof, when struck, may fall from the erect position, shown in full lines (Fig. 2) to the supine position, represented by dot-and-dash lines. Sides 23 are arcuate, as shown, about the center line of the shaft 32 in order to clear through the slots 3|. At their lower part, the sides 23 are sloped downwardly and rearwardly to provide camming surfaces 29 whose function will be explained, and there is a pair of shoulders 30 engageable against the underside of the top 5 to limit the extentto which the tenpins may be movedcounterclockwise upon resetting thereof.

To restore fallen tenpins to normal or erect position, the bottom part l3 supports and encloses a cam operator or cradle 41 of thin, flat material having a plurality of rectangular openings 42 each adapted to fit over a member 2] (Fig. 2), the cradle 4| being slidably supported on gibs 43 attached to the sides "-11 (Fig. 1). For operatingthe cradle 4| to restoring position, a looped handle 44 is secured at one end thereof, retraction of the shutter to normal being effected by a spring or elastic band 45. End 9 is suitably slotted to clear the handle 44. Legs 46 limit return movement of the cradle. I In operation, the device is placed on the floor or table, and the player will throw or shoot a missile in the direction ofthe tenpins 2!] (Fig. 5), the primary desideratum being to score a strike, i. e., all pins knockeddown, or failing in that, to score a spare, i. e., less than all pins knocked down. In .this connection it will be understood that if number 1 pin is struck, the remaining pins will fall therewith; or if, say, number 6 is struck, that pin and numbers 9 and 10 will fall. Stated otherwise, the game takes on all the features of convention- 'al alley bowling, including the standard scoring system thereof. After a player has had his turn, the ring 44 is pulled outwardly to move the cam operator 4 I in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 2), whereupon the forward edges of each opening 42 "will move along the sloping camming edge 29 of the fallen members 2| to rotate the latter about the shafts 32 and to restore the fallen pins to normal upright position. Such resettingoperation tions of service Without eliminating certain fea-'- tures which may properly be said to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured to me by the following claims:

I claim: l. A bowling game toy comprising an open-top box-like lower part and an open-bottom, boxlike upper part adapted for assembly therewith with their edges overlapping to form a complete box, the top of said box having a plurality of pairs of slots therein, a group of simulated tenpins, erect on the top of said box and 'in conventional array, a plurality of shafts extending transversely between opposite sides of said box top, there being one shaft for each transverse row of tenpins, a U-shaped cam member having a downwardly and rearwardlysloped cam surface 4 at the front thereof secured adjacent the base of each tenpin, the legs of the U passing through each pair of slots and being pivotally mounted on one of said shafts, a flat cam-actuating member common to all said cams and having portions en- 'gageable with said cam surfaces movably mount-' ed -in said lower box part, said tenpins being tippable from erect to supine position upon being struclgand restorable to erect position upon op- "eration of 'said cam-actuating member.

2.' A game comprising a base, a plurality of' "tippable elements hinged adjacent their lower ends to said base, said elements normally being upstanding in a substantially vertical position to form targets above said base and tippable rearwardly to a substantially horizontal position, said elements being arranged in the manner of tenpins, each of said elements being wider than the space between the pair of elements immediately I to the rear thereof to knock over said rearwardly positioned elements b tilting of the elementin. 1

front thereof, a cam secured to the bottom portion of eachelement, a cam operator for simultaneously engaging the cams of all elements in a horizontal position for raising them to vertical position, and means for actuating said cam operator.

3. A game comprising a substantially flat supporting member having downwardly extending sides defining a space beneath said member, said support having a plurality of openings thereon arranged in a tenpin pattern, a simulated tenpin extending upwardly from each opening and having a base portion extending downwardly through said opening, transverse pivot members passing through said base portions, said tenpins normally being upstanding in a substantially vertical position and being movable rearwardly about said pivot onto said supporting member, -eachof said bases having a cam portion at the front thereof, and a movable cam operating member for engaging said cam portions below said pivot members, for simultaneously raising all fallen tenpins to a vertical position.

4. A game comprising a substantially flat supporting member having downwardly extending sidesdefining a space beneath said member, said support having a plurality of openingsthereon arranged ina tenpin pattern, a simulated tenpin extending upwardl from each opening and having a base portion with rearwardly extending side members passing downwardly through said opening, transverse pivot members passing through said base portions, said tenpins normally being 'upstanding'in a substantially vertical position and being movable rearwardly about said pivot onto's'aid supporting member, and a pro- -jection on each-base portion side member for engaging said supporting member when said tenpins are in vertical position to limit their forward motion.

5; A- game comprising a substantially fiat supporting member having downwardly extending sides defining/a space beneath said member, said support having a plurality of openings thereon arranged in. atenpin pattern, a simulated tenpin extending'upwardly from each opening and having a base portion extending downwardly through said opening; transverse pivot members passing through said-base portions, said tenpins normally being upstanding in a substantially vertical position and being movable rearwardly about said. pivot' onto said supporting member, each of said bases having a downwardly and rearwardly sloping cam portion at the front thereof, and at'substantially flat cam operating member mounted for-"horizontal movement below said pivot members for engaging said cam portions and raising to a vertical position all fallen ten pins upon actuation thereof;

6. A game compiising'a substantially tlat'sup porting member having downwardly extending sides'defining a space beneath said member, said support having a plurality of openings thereon arranged in a 'tenpin pattern, a simulated ten- :pin extending upwardly from each opening and having a base portion extending downwardly through said "opening, transverse pivot members passing through said base portions, said tenpins normally being i upstanding. in a substantially vertical position and being tiltable rearwardly 'about'said pivot onto said supporting member,

each of said bases'having a downwardly and. rearwardly sloping cam portion at the front thereof and below said pivot members when said tenpins are vertical; andia substantially flat camoperat ing member having a plurality of openings registerable with the openings in said supporting member for'receiving' therein said base portions,

said cam operating member being positioned below said pivot members'for engaging said can:

portions and raising to a vertical position all fallen "tenpins upon actuation thereof..-

- FREDERICK V REFERENCES CITED The. following, references are of record intlie file of this patent:

UNITED- STATES PATENTS- Number 7 Name Date 1,181,054 Anderson Apr. 25, 1916 1,365,561 Sterling N 11, 1921 1,647,583 Rockwell n Nov. 1', 192' 1,877,660 Griner Sept. 13, 1932 1,904,033 Schulze et' a 1933 2,141,958 Ruberti Dec. 27, 1938 Hansell Sept. 30, 19 il 

